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The Buccaneers apparently were just a quarterback and a few pieces away from a Super Bowl. In one year, a team that has toiled near the basement of the NFC South has charged past the rest of the conference and into the biggest game of the year. I expected them to be an improved team and likely a playoff team, but I didn’t see this coming.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, have been here before. They’ve gone 12-4 or better three straight years, getting bounced in the conference championship game in 2018, winning the Super Bowl in 2019, and returning to the Super Bowl again this year. They’re the closest thing to a juggernaut there is in the NFL right now, and they’re looking to defend their title in Tampa Bay.
With rain in the forecast, this could very well be a sloppy game. It likely won’t be a forgettable one, though, because both of these teams are excellent. The Bucs are riding a fearsome front seven and strong passing attack here, and the Chiefs are a legitimate juggernaut on offense with a decent defense of their own. It’ll be hard-fought and competitive, and I hope the Chiefs win it by 20 points and we never have to talk about the Buccaneers ever again. Those are two conflicting thoughts but I stand by both.
Enjoy the game here and talk about it, and after today, we’re formally into an exciting Falcons offseason.